The ancient order of the Knights Templar possessed untold wealth and absolute power over kings and popes . . . until the Inquisition, when they were wiped from the face of the earth, their hidden riches lost. But now two forces vying for the treasure have learned that it is not at all what they thought it was–and its true nature could change the modern world.
Cotton Malone, onetime top operative for the U.S. Justice Department, is enjoying his quiet new life when an unexpected call to action reawakens his hair-trigger instincts–and plunges him back into the cloak-and-dagger world he thought he’d left behind.
It begins with a violent robbery attempt on Cotton’s former supervisor, Stephanie Nelle, who’s far from home on a mission that has nothing to do with national security. Armed with vital clues to a series of centuries-old puzzles scattered across Europe, she means to crack a mystery that has tantalized scholars and fortune hunters through the ages by finding the legendary cache of wealth and forbidden knowledge thought to have been lost forever when the order of the Knights Templar was exterminated in the fourteenth century. But she’s not alone. Competing for the historic prize–and desperate for the crucial information Stephanie possesses–is Raymond de Roquefort, a shadowy zealot with an army of assassins at his command.
At the end of a lethal game of conquest, rife with intrigue, treachery, and craven lust for power, lies a shattering discovery that could rock the civilized world–and, in the wrong hands, bring it to its knees.
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"I love Berry's novels and I'll have this review serve for all of them. His fiction is fast paced and engaging but it's always woven into historical fact. I learn a lot reading his books and enjoy the plot along the way. Great, fun, intelligent novels. I look forward to more from him."
— Merritt (4 out of 5 stars)
The Amber Room
Sexy, illuminating . . . my kind of thriller.
— Dan Brown, author of The Da Vinci CodeMagnificently engrossing, with wonderful characters and a plot that speeds, twists, and turns. Pure intrigue, pure fun.
— Clive Cussler, author of Sacred Stone The Romanov ProphecyPerfect for thriller fans and history buffs alike. Fabulous plot twists.
— David Morrell, author of The ProtectorCompelling . . . adventure-filled . . . a fast-moving, globe-hopping tale of long-lost treasure and shadowy bad guys.
— San Francisco Chronicle The Third SecretControversial, shocking, explosive . . . rich in a wealth of Vatican insider knowledge and two thousand years of Virgin Mary visitations. The Third Secret will change our view of the relationship between religion and wisdom.
— Katherine Neville, author of The Eight" Kind of Davinci's Code & Indiana Jones rolled into one. Intense read that makes you think. "
— Ellen, 2/20/2014" I would not recommend this book to anyone else. The plot was predictable, the characters stereotyped, and the dialogue stilted. On top of that, the author seemed to have a not-so-hidden agenda. Listening to the audio version actually made it sort-of funny; the reader was predictable and stiff. The accents he put on were awkward. Again, I would not recommend this book. "
— Catherine, 2/18/2014" I enjoy these historical fiction novels. Like the Cotton Malone character. Glad to see him in action again in Alexandria Link. "
— Mike, 2/13/2014" Strange as it sounds, I hate Cotton Malone, but this was quite good. "
— Teremarie, 1/19/2014" This was an interesting "thriller" to read. However, it just kept feeling like a Dan Brown (Angels and Demons) wannabe... I don't think I will read others by Steve Berry. "
— Kathy, 1/16/2014" I am interested in all things Templar right now, and this book was a nice diversion. It is fiction, of course, but the author's note at the end describes the factual accounts in the story - there were quite a lot. But otherwise, this is not an extraordinary story, nor particularly well-written, but it kept my attention. Sort of. "
— Squidbandit, 1/8/2014" Pretty much the same as other holy grail style book that I've read. I did enjoy it but I didn't find it remarkable. "
— Mathematical_cats, 1/4/2014" Much Better than " The Third Secret".... "
— Praveen, 12/31/2013" I enjoy this author. He takes unpopular and sometimes obscure theories and adds his own bit of historical fiction. Makes for a very fun read. This one was one of my favorites. "
— Eric, 12/21/2013" It was a fun, adventurous read. Reminded me of Angels and Demons. "
— Laura, 12/16/2013" Liked it. Pretty real characters and nice plot. Are templars the new background for suspense books now there's no East Germany? "
— Danya, 12/15/2013" Cotton Malone, retired federal agent, now bookseller in Denmark, follows his former boss on a quest to find what her late husband was searching for. The treasure of the Templars. Very interesting read! "
— Joyce, 11/26/2013" Very entertaining, fast paced novel. Enjoyed. "
— Michael, 11/19/2013" Berry introduces a new character, Cotton Malone, a retired government agent turned bookseller who's recalled to duty to solve a murder connected to the Knights Templar. "
— Patrick, 11/17/2013" This was an excellent book. I love the mystery surrounding the Templar Knights. This book had plenty of real world history and facts to back up the fictional plot. "
— Rodney, 10/26/2013" Fun story for any conspiracy theorists out. "
— Jamie, 8/11/2013" I think I was tired of D'Vinci style stories so it was probably a better read than I experienced. Why question so much of the relgious past? "
— melody, 7/2/2013" Not bad. Worth the read. Took me a little while to get into the characters. "
— Kelsey, 6/26/2013" Makes you think about the possibilities. Great for debate "
— Virginia, 1/5/2013" This is my second Steve Berry book and I enjoyed it as much as the first. ITs a good, light read. "
— kay, 7/15/2012" Cotton Malone is one of the 4-5 series that I keep up with each time a new novel comes out. This is the book that started it off. Cotton is your standard ex-CIA / military guy now living in Copenhagen. Enjoyable fiction. "
— Darryl, 9/12/2011" The author is a Russian scholar turned novelist and his books always have a mix of fiction and fact. This is the first in a series and they've all been pageturners. If you like Dan Brown then you'll like Steve Berry. "
— Barbara, 7/25/2011" Fantastic, a very good plot. Really love it. "
— Ambermoon, 7/17/2011" These books give new light to conspiracy theory ideas "
— Faith, 6/29/2011" interesting history-fiction series, wish i had more time to read "
— Dondi, 6/13/2011" This is yet another book that aims to knock holes in the Catholic dogma. The last chapter is very interesting and to me entirely plausable. It just seemed to take too long getting there. "
— John, 5/16/2011" Surprisingly good read. I was reluctant to get into it at first because there's literally 1,000 pages. However, this book is entertaining enough to read through to the end. I had trouble putting it down. "
— Stephanie, 5/16/2011" I liked it really well it was the 2nd of his books that I read "
— Eileen, 5/14/2011" I really like books that are historical fiction, and this certainly fit the bill. The plot is pretty suspensful but it would be boring for people who don't like this genre. But since that's not me, I'm re-reading it...for about the third time. "
— Smilies, 5/12/2011" An awesome novel, with loads of historical facts in it.<br/>For all the fans of the Davinci Code & other templar books: you have got to read this one! "
— Eveline, 5/7/2011" Audio Book. It was a pretty entertaining story but I couldn't get behind the hero. This might be because it was the abridged version. They take out all the character details and just leave you a story with no characters to get behind. Steve Berry also "
— Jake, 5/6/2011" Very complicated and the theology of things is beyond my education, but good. "
— Susan, 4/23/2011" I am not sure how to rate this book. There are some points of the books that I loved and could not put down. Then there are parts that all I could think while reading was why am I doing this to myself. Overall, I guess it was a good read. I was impressed with the factual details of the book. "
— Mleeevans, 4/19/2011" I love books set in European locales and I like the premise of the book. I just didn't like the book. Maybe it was my mood at the time? I may try one again. "
— Jeanne, 4/19/2011" Great book full of mystery and intrigue.<br/><br/> "
— Rick, 4/14/2011Steve Berry is the New York Times and #1 internationally bestselling author of seventeen Cotton Malone and four stand-alone novels, among other books and works of short fiction. He has twenty-five million books in print, translated into forty languages. He is an emeritus member of the Smithsonian Libraries Advisory Board and a founding member of International Thriller Writers. With his wife, Elizabeth, he is the founder of History Matters, which is dedicated to historical preservation.
Brian Corrigan is a voice talent and audiobook narrator.